How Do You Deal With Unsolicited Wedding Planning Advice?

Why does wearing an engagement ring suddenly turn every person you come in contact with—the co-worker three cubicles over, your dental hygienist, the lady behind the counter at the post office—into a wedding expert?

Why does wearing an engagement ring suddenly turn every person you come in contact with—the co-worker three cubicles over, your dental hygienist, the lady behind the counter at the post office—into a wedding expert?

Portrait of woman covering ears

Getty Images

Shutupshutupshutupshutup!

People (even unmarried ones!) have so much wedding planning advice to share. And for some reason every last one of them thinks you're just the bride to share it with.

I worked for Martha while I was planning my wedding, so I'd often announce that to strangers and let them assume she was my personal wedding planner. (Not that she could've picked me out of a lineup if her life depended on it.) People who knew who my boss's boss's boss was still felt free to regale me their never-ending wisdom. My mother-in-law freaked out on us on a regular basis. ("What do you mean you're not registering for formal china?" "How could you not have a wedding cake?!) And even some of my normally sane friends went a little cuckoo. ("You have to tell your bridesmaids what color shoes to wear!" "You're letting Rory wear sneakers?!")

How do you guys deal with unsolicited wedding planning advice? Have you found everyone you come in contact with wants to tell you exactly how to orchestrate your big day? Who's the biggest offender? Is your future mother-in-law full of ideas? Or do you find "helpful" strangers to be more annoying?